"I was in a bit of shock, was uncertain about the future" - Iga Swiatek on winning French Open 2020, her first Major

Iga Swiatek has revealed that she was in a state of shock after winning her first Grand Slam title — the 2020 French Open — at the age of just 19. This was also her first-ever WTA singles title.

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, there were total lockdowns in numerous parts of the world. While Wimbledon was canceled for the first time since World War II, Roland Garros was postponed till the end of September.

The Pole, who had never reached the quarter-finals in her previous five Grand Slam appearances, won the tournament without dropping a set. She defeated the likes of Marketa Vondrousova, Eugenie Bouchard, top seed Simona Halep, and fourth seed Sofia Kenin.

Swiatek is currently in Doha for the WTA 500 Qatar Open. In a press conference, the Pole was asked how she felt after winning her first Major in Paris in 2020. The 21-year-old stated that although she was extremely happy, there was apprehension about whether she would be able to continue playing well or not.

"After my first Roland Garros, I would say I was in a little bit of shock," Iga Swiatek said. "My main feelings were kind of I was happy, for sure but also, I didn't know what's gonna happen next and what I'm gonna face. There was a bit of, like, being uncertain about the future. It was also the end of the season, so I had time to kind of enjoy that, but then for sure, I struggled a little bit with expectations."

"I felt like with that kind of tennis, I should show it in every tournament right now. But then I really worked hard on getting my expectations lower, pretty similar to what I'm trying to do right now. Throughout the 2021 season, I felt like I was in a more stable place than in 2020," she added.

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Iga Swiatek's agent says she is similar to Maria Sharapova

Iga Swiatek during the 2022 World Tennis League

Max Eisenbud, who is Iga Swiatek's agent, also worked with five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova. He recently compared the two players, stating that both were quite similar in terms of prioritizing their on-court performances over sponsorship deals.

"There are a lot of similarities to Sharapova. Maria wanted to win first, second, third, and fourth. Iga wants to win the same," Eisenbud said. "And I think when you’re talking to brands, and you tell them ‘listen, you might not have as much time with her as maybe others because she’s so focused and wants to win’, usually the brands are excited about that."

In Forbes' 2022 list of the world's highest-paid female athletes, Swiatek was placed in the fifth position.